According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, 6.1 million people in the United States are affected by infertility. This number represents approximately 10% of the reproductive age population. One procedure used to overcome problems of infertility is in vitro fertilization (hereinafter designated IVF).
IVF of human oocytes (egg cells) has become commonly used for the treatment of female and male subfertility. The standard IVF treatment includes a long phase of hormone stimulation of the female patient, e.g. 30 days, which in most of the cases is initiated by suppressing the patient's own follicle stimulating hormone (hereinafter designated FSH) and luteinising hormone (hereinafter designated LH) by gonadotropin releasing hormone agonists (hereinafter designated GnRH-agonists), and this is followed by injections of exogenous gonadotropins, e.g. FSH and/or LH, in order to ensure development of multiple preovulatory follicle development and aspiration of multiple in vivo matured oocytes immediately before ovulation. The aspirated oocytes are subsequently fertilised in vitro and cultured, typically for two to five days before transferral back into the uterus at the 4 cell stage up to the blastocyst stage. After transferral progesterone is administered by intramuscular injection.
One object of the present invention is to treat human infertility.
Another object of the present invention is to improve the fertility, in particular the stimulation of the ovarian production of oocytes.
Another object of the present invention is to improve the implantation and subsequent pregnancy development.
Another object of the present invention is to improve the rate of implantation of oocytes by human in vitro maturation and fertilisation.
Another object of the present invention is to improve the sperm production and hormone production in men.
Another object of the present invention is to make the administration of substances such as hormones or drugs more comfortable and more reliable, in order to improve treatment of infertility.
Another object is to improve transdermal delivery systems.